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Ultra Crew Institute
The Ultra Crew Insitute, often called the UCI, is an independent "think tank" organization obstenibly dedicated to developing alternative, non-polluting energy sources and bringing cutting-edge electronics and equipment from Neo Arcadia to other countries abroad. Beneath this veneer, however, the UCI is dedicated to fostering good-will between Neo Arcadia and the outside world, where it has virtually no actual allies. In addition to this, the UCI's agents find out more about the world writ large, actively seeking out information on everything from paranormal and psychic phenomena to studies on military hardware, in an attempt to further Neo Arcadia's knowledge of the outside world. *'Agenda:' Learn more about the world outside of Neo Arcadia's home continent and attempt to establish better relationships with foreign nations in an attempt to bolster Neo Arcadia's global standing. *'Structure': Think-tank and R&D firm. *'Symbol':A stylized "UCI" on a diamond-shaped emblem. *'Hostile Factions': Former Vorostovan military elements are innately hostile. Any country suspicious of Neo Arcadia is likewise usually not fond of the UCI. *'Requisition Limit': Access to modern military equipment and advanced technology. *'Military Strength': None. Does, however, possess an extensive private security force and ties to Neo Arcadian Military. ---- =History and Overview= Founded some 20 years ago by one Garfield Arcade, the Ultra Crew Institute is officially a think-tank devoted to developing new technologies and bringing advanced tech from Neo Arcadia to other countries - especially in the area of alternative energy sources. Unofficially, the UCI is a massive PR firm on behalf of the Neo Arcadian government - and has two very different purposes than advertised. The first is to attempt to actively "make nice" with other countries to bolster Neo Arcadia's global image and help it gain in both political and social power; the UCI fosters countless public works projects, assists local police and military forces in virtually every country a branch of it operates, making them particularly well-recieved in locations like Miranda and Raxis. They are not as trusted by other countries aware of Neo Arcadia's history or suspicion of its ties to other governments, however. The second role of the UCI is to learn more about the outside world; Neo Arcadia had little research done into magic and the like until coming to Fontraile in just the last 16 years. One side effect of this is that the UCI has had a burgeoning interest in individuals with magical or psionic talent, and the Institute aggressively has attempted to recruit individuals with these abilities in the past, and spent significant resources in helping these individuals control their abilities. The company's frequent drive to spread good-will has done little, however, to dispel rumors regarding its own actions in the Vorostov conflict and seemingly-predatory practices when moving into developing countries. The ongoing paternal attitude the UCI seems to have regarding the world writ large has done little to help matters. The Ultra Crew Institute generally doesn't engage in hostile actions, but their mandate of assisting local governments and investigating unusual phenomenon to bring back more data about the outside world and the various things going on therein brings them into conflict with other groups with hostile agendas, including militant groups (such as Natural Selection), governments of countries that are not Neo Arcadia-allied (such as Paramis), and many merc groups. For these, the UCI maintains a large number of private contractors and hired guards, as well as specialist teams for specific tasks. As part of the "make-nice with the other countries" plan of Neo Arcadia, many of these task forces wind up working for local governments on commission. ---- =Structure= As far as the public knows, the UCI has three divisions: the Administrative division, Analytical division, and the Archives. These divisions take care of the corporation's day-to-day activities and serve as screens for its more covert activities. Members know that the UCI has 2 other branches: the Intelligence division and the Special Tasks division. These divisions have the tasks of gathering information and intel, and performing the hands-on work that is often required as part of Neo Arcadia's attempts to make-nice with its allied countries ---- =Base of Operation= With multiple branches across Fontraile, the UCI has major branches (with 500 or so employees) in Vashar, and Tarantus, with smaller branches (50-200 employees) in Sigilus and De Midian's capital city, Necropolis. Each office houses a fully-equipped library, lab complex, sample storage area, morgue, armory, detention area, employee cafeteria, gymnasium, and motor pool. If a something can't be researched at a branch office, the Mirandian HQ Branch has an even more advanced lab available and better-trained personnel, fully-staffed 24 hours a day.